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MOTHER, MOTHER, THE POT BOILS OVER 399 |
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The same thing occurs again. The Witch comes and asks— Please, will you lend me your tinder-box ? My fire's out. Yes, certainly, if you'll bring it back directly. You shall have it in half-an-hour. While the tinder-box is being looked for she runs off with Tuesday. Then the pot boils over, and the same dialogue is repeated. The Mother comes and finds Tuesday gone. This is repeated for all the seven children in turn, different articles, gridiron, poker, &c, being borrowed each time. Finally, the eldest daughter is taken off too. There is no one now to watch the pot, so it boils over, and makes so much noise that the Mother hears it and comes to see why it is. Finding her eldest daughter gone too, she goes after her children to the Witch's house. A dialogue ensues between the Witch and the Mother. The Mother asks—
Is this the way to the Witch's house ? There's a red bull that way ! I'll go this way. There's a mad cow that way ! I'll go this way. There's a mad dog that way ! She then insists on entering the house to look for her children. The Witch will not admit her, and says— Your boots are too dirty. I'll take my boots off. Your stockings are too dirty. I'll take them off. Your feet are dirty. I'll cut them off.
The blood will run over the threshold. I'll wrap them up in a blanket. The blood will run through. This enrages the Mother, and she pushes her way into the supposed house, and looks about, and calls her children. She goes to one and says—
This tastes like my Monday. The Witch tells her it's a barrel of pork.
No, no, this is my Monday; run away home. |
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